Mann Edina 4

ridethectrain on July 3, 2026 at 4:41 pm

Inside the Revamped Edina Theatre The 50th & France landmark reopens with new owners and nods to the past.

by Cynthia Maya CultureOctober 1, 2022

Nearly three years after shutting down at the onset of the pandemic, the historic Edina Theatre reopened Friday under new local ownership. Mann Theaters is focused on the experience of movie going, which you can’t get while streaming from home, like heated seats and a bar designed to replicate Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 horror classic, The Shining.

The almost 90-year old theater boasts renovations throughout, including a forthcoming performance stage, updated screens and sound system, and new heated reclining seats.

Mann Theaters president Steve Mann, who actually owned the Edina Theatre once before for a short stint in the 1970s, gave credit to his children Michelle and Michael, who now run the business. “They’re responsible for all these remarkable ideas,” he said at a private grand opening party on Thursday.

Along with nods to old Hollywood like the elegant lobby chandelier, and historic photos including one of the 1981 storm that took out the iconic Edina marquee, the theater has been updated for the 21st Century with automated ticket kiosks and self-serve concessions. (There’s still an employee-staffed box office, for those who prefer to buy tickets the old fashioned way.) New concession items include pizza, chicken nuggets, and milk shakes.

Upstairs, visitors enter a whole new cinematic dimension in the Gold Room Bar, almost an exact replica of the Gold Ballroom from The Shining. The idea came to co-owner Michelle Mann when she and her brother toured the theater a year and a half ago. “Because of the way [the space] is structured, The Shining just came into our head, so that’s where it started,” Michelle Mann says. “We were like, ‘Guess what, Dad?’ We want to do this exactly like The Shining.’ He thought we were crazy but we said, ‘trust us.’” The result is an immersive experience that feels like stepping right into a movie scene—from the subtly chilling bathrooms, the REDRUM door, the hotel lobby scene and creepy twins looking over your shoulder as you enjoy a cocktail.

As an homage to the decoration, the theater is showing The Shining for its opening weekend along with three other movies; The Good House, Don’t Worry Darling, and Bros. Long known for indie films, the Edina will now show a mix of arthouse movies and Hollywood blockbusters.

Sitting in the heart of the 50th & France district neighboring businesses anticipate an uptick in foot traffic. “It’ll make us busier for sure. I think it’ll bring more people to the neighborhood,” says Vanessa Wheeler, the general manager at Pajarito restaurant across the street from the theater. Right next door to the theater, Bluebird Boutique co-owner Allison Mowery says she can’t wait to smell the popcorn again. “We’re thrilled to see our neighbor reopen, and so excited about the variety of movies they’ll be showing now!”

With a nod to the neighborhood, the opening event featured refreshments from surrounding businesses, including Mr. Paul’s Supper Club. Executive chef and owner Tommy Begnaud says, “We absolutely believe the theater will benefit Mr. Paul’s and all the restaurants and shops in the 50th & France district. There’s a lot of energy here, and having a theater experience just gives people one more reason to come and stay a while.”

The new stage for live performances is expected to draw small theater groups, comedians, and musical acts.

“We wanted to make it a destination” Michelle Mann says. “A place you’re not going to forget when you come in.”

alex35mm on August 22, 2024 at 2:29 pm

Does anyone know if there were any other theaters that Cineplex Odeon remodeled and rebuilt in this fashion where they salvaged a vintage front facade, marquee and lobby but completely rebuilt the auditorium section? This was so well executed.

Joe Vogel on February 24, 2022 at 11:02 pm

Mann Theatres, who operated the Edina briefly in the 1970s, announced that they were returning to the house with plans to renovate and reopen it. This article in TCB Magazine says that the plans include a bar and, in one small auditorium, a stage for intimate live performances. A mixture of first-run Hollywood movies and independent films is planned. They expect to have the theater reopened sometime this coming summer.

rivest266 on January 16, 2017 at 3:59 am

August 31st, 1934, December 25th, 1976, December 5th, 1980 and December 16th, 1988 grand opening ads in the photo section.

rivest266 on January 14, 2017 at 10:54 pm

20 years

Found on Newspapers.com

MinnesotaJones on March 24, 2009 at 1:31 pm

I saw a re-release of Star Wars here back in 1979 or so, as well as Robocop (while it was still a triplex). After the 1989 remodel, it became one of my favorite theaters to see new movies (if not my favorite). I saw Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Jurassic Park, Batman, The Lost World (JP2) all in their initial runs here and many other movies here in the 1990s.

retrojosh on January 17, 2007 at 1:23 pm

This is my favorite Twin Cities cineplex. The interior has an art deco look and feel to it that in a way makes it seem like a glitsy classic theater. I’m glad that the original exterior front facade and marquee was save and incorporated into the new cineplex. I look at this theater and wonder why this kind of development doesn’t happen more often instead of complete demolition.

bbeza on August 18, 2004 at 1:13 pm

Architect is listed as “unknown” but first sentence credits (and correctly) Liebenberg & Kaplan. The correct entry in the architect field will get a truer search result when querying by “architect."
Thanks!